Commercial popcorn vendors typically employ popcorn machines that heat unpopped kernels in a bath of oil. The resulting popcorn can retain a significant portion of the cooking oils, leading to increased oil consumption by consumers who eat popcorn prepared this way. This comes as nutritional experts have increasingly recommended that foods high in fat be reduced or even eliminated from one's diet. Furthermore, without added oils, popcorn can be a very nutritional food, as it contains relatively high levels of fiber and antioxidants.
Air popping corn kernels is one method of applying a sufficient amount of heat to unpopped kernels to produce popcorn without the use of added oils. However, typical consumer air popping machines are designed for home use and are not robust or large enough for commercial use (e.g. in a concession stand). Moreover, typical air popping machines lack the ability regulate the heat applied to the corn kernels (e.g., by controlling an amount of current supplied to a heating element, an amount of airflow into the popping machine, etc.) to compensate for variations in, for example, corn kernel varieties and/or ambient conditions. There exists a need for a commercial-grade air popping machine with a temperature and/or airflow intake adjustment capability.